Jamba Juice signs deal to expand retail footprint in Middle East

American restaurant company Jamba Juice has signed a master franchise development agreement with Foodmark, the food and beverage arm of Landmark Group, to develop 80 Jamba Juice stores across the Middle East over the next ten years.

The agreement is a step forward in Jamba Juice's international franchise store growth, and brings the brand's current stores in pipeline to 480 in South Korea, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar.

Foodmark COO Kieran Mallon said Jamba Juice is a highly reputed name and the company is excited about the opportunity to bring the brand to the Middle East.

"The region will be a fantastic market for Jamba Juice. The product offering is very relevant for our consumers, who are increasingly looking for healthier food and beverage alternatives, and embracing the global healthy and active lifestyle trends," Mallon added.

The first store under the deal is expected to open in Dubai in 2014.

Foodmark is a subsidiary of the Landmark Group, one of the largest and most successful retail and hospitality conglomerates in MENA and India, operating over 1600 outlets across 19 countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, India, Egypt, Turkey, and other markets in the region.

Founded in 1990, Jamba Juice is a restaurant retailer of better-for-you, specialty beverage and food offerings, which include great tasting, whole fruit smoothies, fresh squeezed juices and juice blends, hot coffee and teas, hot oatmeal, breakfast wraps, sandwiches and mini-wraps, California Flatbreads, and a variety of baked goods and snacks.